Vandalia-Butler Observer

11/04/2024

02/02/2024

Vandalia - The City Manager and his ally on the Council are obsessed with this plan to raise water and utilities in perpetuity.
All we can hope for is that our two new Councilmen: Amber and Cindy can demand review on behalf of angry citizens. And tell your neighbors - Follick campaigned on increasing your water bill because, as he said in print! Vandalians have paid too little for too long. Elections have consequences.

22/01/2024

Vandalia's Manager and his Council Ally were asleep at the switch. Obsessed with warehousing. One of the only woodlands in Vandalia was destroyed to build a warehouse, that now sets empty . Candace and Lewis tried to hold the line on developing research and innovation builds west of town. Time to get those tracts rezoned to where they were, instead of industrial.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/northpoint-backs-out-of-warehouse-construction-plan-in-tipp-city/22UUTR25DRAQXP25MCI7COBGZI/?fbclid=IwAR1ExWF0IgW0bu-SZAhsFmjz79DebRLy3tCx13MLcm3-NgkmNlsw8Ia3dME

TIPP CITY — NorthPoint Development, which proposed constructing more than 1 million square feet of space in warehouse buildings on land north of Evanston Road, has abandoned those plans, city leaders were notified this month.

28/10/2023

in 10 short days, Vandalians will make a choice for Councilmen. The challengers are working up to the last minute to earn votes ... Cindy Doogan is out on this dreary Saturday morning with an army of Butler students helping her to pass out campaign cards. As in the past couple elections, Amber is going door to door. Vandalia, you decide who deserves your votes.

27/10/2023

Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good. 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vandalians - This election, the Council incumbents have spent a lot to hold onto power. Follick and Woods just voted for a budget to run the city in a deficit. That plan is dangerous and irresponsible.

Wake up, citizens of Vandalia

27/10/2023

20/10/2023

Amber Holloway has done a terrific job for Vandalia. She is a splendid candidate for West Carrollton and deserves advancement

Amber Holloway has been assistant city manager for Vandalia; she will replace West Carrollton's veteran city manager Brad Townsend, who is retiring.

10/10/2023

https://www.daytondailynews.com/voter-guide/?fbclid=IwAR2P7rm0SIHx5nDdS7uLr0p1wKo7fbO5e_ZO2g0YJOEO72EsvUfwcOoqzjE

Candidate questions & answers comparison for the November 2023 election in Dayton, Springfield, and Hamilton Ohio

13/09/2023

Do the Vandalia City Council Candidates have websites with their platform and positions on the issues?
All Candidates are encouraged to share links on this post

10/08/2023

Today's DDN lists levy issues submitted for the November election. Citizens of Vandalia-Butler Schools just turned down a Spring levy; yet, this Treasurer apparently ignores the will of the residents because VBSD plans to put another levy on the fall ballot. NEWS FLASH: property value appraisals are increasing substantially. This Treasurer and the Board might consider dialoging with City officials, State officials and considering creative alternatives to finance the district.

Big school levies are coming in the November 2023 election for Centerville, Oakwood, Northmont, Vandalia, Troy, Yellow Springs, Milton-Union and Greeneview

08/08/2023

Vandalians : This w/e, head toward Tipp on Frost Rd./Tipp-Cowlesville and you'll see the tents @ St. Johns. This is annually a terrific event w/ an array of items - all priced to move. Christy Peters has chaired the event for years and a legion of volunteers [incl. Betty Voisard, formerly one of the Carlin girls from Precious Blood Church) sort the contributions, display and price the stuff quite well.

St. John’s Annual Flea Market 2023

Wednesday, August 9 – 6-8 pm – presale – admission $5

Thursday, August 10 – 10 am – 4 pm – sale

Friday, August 11 – 10 am – 8 pm – sale

Saturday, August 12 – 10 am – 8 pm – ½ price sale all-day

Sunday, August 13 – 12 – 2 pm - Everything free w/donation

27/06/2023

We are one day away from the Food Rally- Let's EAT!

24/06/2023

make a buzz for Al Tuttle

15/06/2023

This November, three seats on the Vandalia City Council are up for election. In addition to the 3 incumbents, the MoCo Bd of Elections has received requests and distributed candidacy petitions to a number of other interested parties.

04/05/2023

VBSD : O'Leary, Beavers and the Board won't take NO for an answer. Tuesday, voters turned down a school levy by over 20%. That's it! Instead of honoring the ballot, immediately the VBSD threatens to spend another $40K to put another levy on the November ballot. Beavers and O'Leary need to stop ignoring the citizens. They should meet w/ City of Vandalia and insist Wendt the Mgr. ends the abatements that steal money from the schools.

Voters in the Huber Heights and Van­dalia-But­ler school dis­tricts strongly voted down the Dayton area’s two largest school levy requests in recent years Tues­day. Now the school dis­tricts, which are in dif­fer­ent pos­i­tions fin­an­cially, are...

02/05/2023

MAY 2, 2023 / TUESDAY

Vandalia-Butler ... Cast you ballot today

VBSD in typical sneaky style spends est. $40,000 of your School Taxes to pay for placement on this primary Spring ballot. The ask? a 1% School Earned Income Tithe

23/04/2023

Sunday (4/23/2023) Dayton Daily News : Vandalia has become the laughing stock of the Miami Valley. Don't believe it? Read the article. This once beautiful, vibrant community (emphasis on community) is in rapid decline. What caused such quick change change? Two things come to mind that happened over the past 4 years = Follick and Woods got on the Council and Wendt was hired as City Manager.

TIPP CITY — It’s a theme heard increasingly at public meetings in Tipp City — is the community growing too much, in the right ways, and does that mean losing a small-town feel?

29/03/2023

The CFO/Treasurer for VBSD, Beavers, simply refuses to be honest on any levy requests. Over his tenure, he's been sneaky when he extended a levy and slipped a couple loads through on primary ballots when fewer residents might vote. Now the school board again approves a squeeze on residents because this treasurer can't manage the budget. When the income tax idea came out, there was accompanying plans to use that and do away with the property tax levy. Then it was decided to get it on the ballot by keeping the truth of the matter secretive. VBSD Board might end up petitioned like neighboring Tipp City if they can't control the people's money!

Vandalia school says they would need to make about $1.8 million in cost reductions if their tax levy does not pass in May and an additional $2.8 million in cuts if voters nix a levy in November.

21/12/2022

@ 12/19/2022 : This Council approved a vac truck purchase of $493500 as shown below. Every single meeting this Manager dreams up one after another spending brainstorm. Somebody on this Council needs to explain that this is a quite small city. That sneaky idea to increase the water utility is just the beginning.
You'd think that Connie Woods would patrol the budget, after all, that was her motivation to run for Council.

Want to know what happened at Monday's Vandalia City Council meeting? Read all about it in the latest Council Action publication.

12/12/2022

here's a link to the 22-35 ordinance increasing utility fees. the verbiage is so clumsy that is seems to indicate new costs in January, which would make sense. However, the utility dept. is ready w/ the increase on Jan. '23 payments. what company or business would change pricing in mid December instead of making the change on 12/31 ? read this ordinance, and! don't overlook the annual increases.

11/12/2022

Mont. Cty Comm President, Carolyn Rice, and Admin, Michael Colbert, announced water and sewer will stay the same for 2023. What in the world is going on in Vandalia? Citizens say NO! - so, why is council and their on the job learner Manager rushing to burden residents w/ 20% up in '23 and another 30% for '24? Tell these people to STOP the nonsense spending in the height of a recession. In fact, the Manager can hardly wait, so he has an increase in place for December. Call the Council today and prepare to vote out Woods and Follick in November '23.

10/12/2022

in the Friday (December 9, 2022) DDN appears an article about Vandalia parks advising that Vandalia entered into an agreement for $100,000 to hire park consultants . Where are the Council and Manager priorities? They approved and rushed thru a giant increase on utilities: 20% increase for 2023 and more in 2024. So? do we have an urgent water infrastructure emergency? or do we have a need for parks. Sure looks like just more of this wild spending on frivilous items instead of citizen necessities.